Heliconias
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Heliconias are tropical plants related to bananas, cannas and gingers. There are about 100 different individual species, and most species then have a large number of hybrids and cultivars, with flower styles varying significantly from the original
Species native to Costa Rica
Defense mechanisms
Facts
- Heliconia Rostrata
- Heliconia latisphata
- Heliconia Psittacorum Andromeda
- Heliconia Pendula
–The bracts are so large they hide the actual flower from pollinators and insects to protect the flower from being destroyed
–Heliconias have evolved from hanging facing bracts to upright bracts to protect from pollen robbers
–Heliconias hold bract liquid to protect the flower inside of the bract
– What you would think is the flower is actually a specialized
leaf called a bract
–The flower is located inside the bract
–Heliconias need warm and humid weather to survive
–They can range is color from green to the bright red or pink
–Multiple types of Heliconias
- Erect type, Pendant type, Psittacorum type
- Over 300 species of Heliconias around the world
–Heliconias are native to Central and South America
–Pollinated by hummingbirds, nectar feeding bats, insects
–Can grow between 2 and 25 feet
Citations
Species of Heliconias
FIN.
- Exotic Tropical Plants - Heliconia Information - how to grow, pruning heliconias, growing styles, planting instructions, popular species (Exotic Tropical Plants - Heliconia Information - how to grow, pruning heliconias, growing styles, planting instructions, popular species)http://members.iinet.net.au/~meckms/Heliconia%20Information%20Page.html
- Wootton, J., & Sun, I. (n.d.). Bract Liquid as a Herbivore Defense Mechanism for Heliconia wagneriana Inflorescences. Biotropica, 155-155.
- Heliconia Flowers | The Flower Expert - Exotic flowers (The Flower Expert)
- http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/heliconia
- Produccion y venta de heliconias - catalogo (YouTube)
- http://wildlifeofhawaii.com/flowers/1323/heliconia-rostrata-hanging-lobster-claw/